When it comes to giant franchises, even hardcore fans may not know about or play every game. For example, Final Fantasy has existed since it debuted on the NES in 1987 in Japan, and there are still new games or ports happening to this day. Most games have come to the West, but some Final Fantasy games that are still only unofficially translated, and as such, may have been overlooked by Western audiences.
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That’s the theme for the following games. Players may not know they are missing games in some of their favorite franchises because they are trapped in Japan. Will they ever leave, and are they even worth it? Let’s go through some of the best killer examples of video game sequels that flew completely under the radar.
Lika A Dragon: Arrives!
Samurai Yakuza
- Developer: New Entertainment R&D Dept.
- Publisher: Sega
- Released: March 6, 2008 (Japan)
- Platform: PS3
Like a Dragon: Arrives! Was released for the PS3 in 2008 in Japan, and that’s a basic translation of the name, while the official title is Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! The game reuses characters from the Yakuza series, like Kazuma, to reenact some moments from Japanese history.
In fact, the whole game takes place in the feudal era of Japanese history. This was the first samurai-infused game in the franchise, but there was another that eventually got a Western release, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, so there is hope for Like a Dragon: Arrives! As well.
Dragon’s Dogma Online
A Broader Sequel
Dragon's Dogma Online
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
Before Dragon’s Dogma 2, fans probably thought that they had been waiting twelve years for a sequel. However, Japan got Dragon’s Dogma Online in 2015, featuring all the same intense action of the 2012 original, but with even more co-op support.
Players could create their character and then venture off into a dangerous world filled with monsters that they could fight and climb, just like in the first game. Unfortunately, there are probably no plans to bring this game to the West, as servers were shut down in 2019.
Valkyria Chronicles 3
The Best Game In The Series Is Hidden
Valkyria Chronicles III
- Released
- January 27, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Media.Vision
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Tactical
Valkyria Chronicles 3 is the one missing game in the tactical RPG series in the West, and it’s a shame because it’s also the better PSP title. It was originally released for the PSP in 2011 in Japan, but the good news is that there is a good English fan translation out there for those who can’t wait for an official port.
Like every entry in the series, players will take their troops out onto big, open-ended maps where they can use their soldiers to take over bases and shoot combatants down in a mix of real-time and turn-based strategy.
Front Mission 5: Scars Of The War
Mechs Marching Forward
Front Mission 5: Scars of the War
- Released
- December 29, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- nr
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Tactical RPG
The Front Mission series has a lot of sequels and games hiding in Japan, and Front Mission 5: Scars of the War is the last mainline numbered title on the PS2. There is a fan translation for the game, but given the re-release schedule of the first three games in the series so far, fans may want to wait for a potential remaster.
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Originally released in 2005, this tactical RPG features linear missions where players can customize their mechs (aka Wanzers) before battle. Units move on a grid-based battlefield, and attacking an enemy unit could kill them or simply blow up a part, like an arm.
.hack//LINK
No Trilogy Or Quadrilogy For You
- Developer: CyberConnect2
- Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
- Released: March 4, 2010 (Japan)
- Platform: PSP
On the PS2, there was a quadrilogy of .hack games, which was followed by a trilogy, and then there was a PSP game, seemingly meant to link the series together through the aptly named .hack//LINK.
Released for the PSP in 2010, this action RPG sent players into dungeons with famous characters from across the .hack universe, including games and anime that the developer, CyberConnect2, created. It was a more linear game without the broader MMO aspect supporting it, and the dungeon experiences were smaller as a result. For those interested, there is an English fan patch out there.
Star Ocean: Blue Sphere
Lost In Blue
- Developer: tri-Ace
- Publisher: Enix
- Released: June 28, 2001 (GBC Version, Japan)
- Platform: Game Boy Color, Mobile
Star Ocean: Blue Sphere is a Game Boy Color action RPG released in 2001 and a direct sequel to Star Ocean: The Second Story, featuring familiar characters. At their spaceship's crash site, players can choose which party members to take with them into battle. It won’t affect the story, though, as they can swap characters around later like any traditional RPG.
For anyone familiar with the Star Ocean games, this spinoff/sequel will feel familiar, even though it’s more 2D than 2.5D when it comes to battling foes. Also, there is an English fan patch out there.
Mosquito 2: Let's Go Hawaii
Storming The Beaches
- Developer: Zoom
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Released: July 2, 2003 (Japan)
- Platform: PS2
Mosquito 2: Let's Go Hawaii is the technical name for the game, but it is essentially Mister Mosquito 2, a sequel to one of the strangest PS2 games ever made. Like the original, players will inhabit the role of a hungry mosquito that must stealthily sneak past their prey undetected and then drain blood from certain pressure points.
It’s a stealth game combined with the towering mayhem of Shadow of the Colossus, as these humans are sized true to life. Mosquito 2 will probably never be officially translated, but the original is still playable on PS5.
Boktai 3: Sabata's Counterattack
My Lost Sun
- Developer: Konami
- Publisher: Konami
- Released: July 28, 2005 (Japan)
- Platform: Game Boy Advance
Boktai 3: Sabata's Counterattack is the only game in this series that was never released in the West, and like all other Game Boy Advance entries, the cartridge has a solar panel attached. To fight vampires, players needed to go physically outside and literally absorb the sun’s rays to power up their solar-based weaponry.
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It was released in 2005, deep into the handheld’s life cycle, which may be why it was never brought over to the Western market. Fortunately, there is an English fan patch waiting for all the would-be vampire hunters out there.
Destiny Of An Emperor 2: The Story Of Zhuge Liang
Turn-Based Dynasty Warriors
- Developer: Capcom
- Publisher: Capcom
- Released: April 5, 1991
- Platform: NES
Destiny of an Emperor is an obscure little NES RPG from Capcom, probably one that not many have played, and it was assuredly played even less than Destiny of an Emperor 2: The Story of Zhuge Liang, which was a 1991 release in Japan. Yes, there is an English fan patch for anyone interested.
Like the original, Destiny of an Emperor 2 can be likened to Dragon Quest meets Dynasty Warriors, as the historical Chinese influences are everywhere in the world design. In battle, HP is represented by the strength of each character’s army, which is a nice way to differentiate the battle system, but overall, it is a simple little RPG that won't challenge players too much.
Splatterhouse: Naughty Graffiti
Friday The 13th, But Cute
- Developer: Now Production
- Publisher: Namco
- Released: July 31, 1989
- Platform: NES
To most late 80s and 90s kids, Splatterhouse was like an unofficial Friday the 13th video game series. Players controlled a masked killer who battled through waves of grotesque enemies, and it was pretty popular, especially for the 90s.
In Japan, there was a 1989 spin-off on the NES that made the killer a bit softer on the eyes called Splatterhouse: Naughty Graffiti. The gameplay featured a bit more platforming and way less blood in exchange for a cuter action game that might just be better than the mainline entries.
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